CAPUTO: This is the most important Big Ten Tournament ever for Michigan and MSU WITH VIDEO

Name the last five winners of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament?

It has evolved into the biggest non-event, big-event in this region.

Michigan State, for example, hasn't typically performed well in the Big Ten Tournament.

Advertisement

And who has cared?

It has not been an issue because the Spartans have reached the Final Four six of the last 12 seasons.

Michigan has been so down in basketball since the Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament in 1998, that it has also been a non-issue - little more than a disappointing follow up to generally disheartening regular seasons.

This weekend is different.

Instead of not only being absolutely certain it is going to receive an NCAA tournament bid, but also a great seed, MSU is on the bubble to get into the Big Dance.

The Spartans have fallen to the point they are, as a sixth-seed, forced to play on the opening day of the conference tournament. And they are an upset by 11th-seeded Iowa from being relegated to playing in the NIT.

Don't laugh. Iowa not only won one of its two meetings with the once-mighty Spartans this season, but it was a rout (by 20 points) in Iowa City.

Michigan - although it had a 9-9 regular season conference record like the Spartans - is a fourth seed and will play Illinois in the opening round.

For the Spartans, it's about regaining some aspect of respect. Held on a pedestal not only for their sterling record during the Tom Izzo era, the Spartans were viewed as the ultimate tough-minded college basketball program.

This season, instead, has been a study in dysfunction. Usually Izzo is able to impose his hard-nosed personality and will onto his team, but this season the message hasn't gotten through. It's puzzling because it's not like Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green, Durrell Summers and Delvon Roe haven't been successful in the past. They have been the core of Final Four and Big Ten championship squads.

It's one thing to be defeated. It's another to appear disinterested while losing. Michigan State has been going through the motions. And it's not like Izzo has responded well to it.

It was bizarre how he whined about how Michigan's Darius Morris drove through his team and scored a layup to end the Wolverines' victory over the Spartans last weekend.

It was out of character for Izzo, who does have a tendency to whine, but not unnecessarily about the deportment of an opponent.

Izzo's team uncharacteristically quit on that play, and didn't contest Morris' drive. Isn't that where the fault lies?

Most of the NCAA bracket gurus have the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament field.

But such a spot will be will be more difficult for Michigan to justify if it doesn't beat Illinois Friday.

It will be a litmus test for whether Michigan coach John Beilein has really turned around his program.

Illinois is traditionally a powerful team, but is having a sub par season.

Michigan lost to the Illini by just two points at what has traditionally been one of the most difficult buildings to win at in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines haven't been overwhelmed this season, but their only significant victory over a Top 25 caliber team was at Clemson. All doubts will be erased if they beat Illinois.

But outside the local angle, not much has changed about the Big Ten Tournament.

What is Ohio State playing for this weekend? Nothing. The Buckeyes are going to get a No.1 seed in the NCAA tournament - regardless. Seems like the fate of Purdue and Wisconsin is similarly sealed. They are both going to be favorably seeded.

Michigan's seed will be interesting. If the Wolverines were to take a run this weekend toward the championship game, their seeding could be surprisingly good. Might even be eighth or better. An early exit - and it's difficult to imagine it will be better than 10th.

Michigan State could be living off its reputation. If the Spartans do get in, it won't better than 10th - regardless. That is, unless they win the Big Ten Tournament. That would mean four wins in four straight days for a team that has struggled to maintain any facsimile of consistency.

By the way, the last five winners of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament were, in reverse order, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Iowa.

It's all about the Big Dance.

The difference is this year, the Spartans, and perhaps even the Wolverines, might playing for their invitation.

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him at pat.caputo@oakpress.com and follow him on Twitter at patcaputo98. You can read his blog, "Open Book" by clicking here http://bit.ly/QDHXj